Wood-treating apparatus



Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES GRANT B. SHIPLEY OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WOOD-TREATING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 11,

This invention relates to apparatus for preserving wood, more particularly to an improved arrangement of apparatus for the preserving of railroad ties, poles or the like by treating the same with creosote or other preservative fluids. a

In a Patent No. 1,081,158 issued December 9, 1913. I have described apparatus for preserving wood in which a retort or treating cylinder is arranged horizontally and connected to a pair of weighing tanks which are vertically disposed above the cylinder and which is further connected to a storage tank for the preservative which is disposed laterally of the treating cylinder and connected -to communicate with both of the weighing tanks and the treating cylinder.

This arrangement of apparatus is designed for the treating of railroad ties, or the like, by submitting them to a preserving fluid such as creosote under pressure to perfeet the desired penetration of the liquid into the body to be treated, and to ascertain the exact amount of the liquid absorbed by the treated body.

The present invention is directed to apparatus for preserving wood which functions precisely as that disclosed in the aforementioned patent, but which distinguishes from the arrangement therein disclosed in that the relative disposition of the respective cylinders and tanks is altered to facilitate and expedite the treating of wood bodies, to eliminate the extensive and elaborate piping connections. formerly employed and to so arrange the apparatus as to comprise a minimum of parts and to take up a minimum amount of floor space.

It is among the ob'ects of the present invention to provide wood preserving apparatus which shall be of compact durable mechanical construction, and arranged in such manner that the preserving fluid will flow by gravity from a storage tank or source of supply to the treating cylinder and weighing tank all of which are arranged in superposed relation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for preserving wood in which the treating cylinder shall be provided with an integrally formed port com-' municating with t e storage tank and in which the weighing tank shall be suspended from the treating cylinder.

In the accompanying. drawings constituting a part hereof and'in which like refer- 1926. Serial No. 115,206.

once characters designatelike parts, Fig. 1

is a side elevational view of apparatus for preserving wood embodying the principles of this invention: and Fig. 2 is a rear-end elevational view thereof illustrating the relative disposition of the tanks and feeding cylinder.

Referring to the several figures of the drawing, the structure therein illustrated comprises a treating cylinder 1 having a front and rear head portion 2 and 3, respectively, which is disposed with its longitudinal axis in a horizon. al plane, and supported at its respective ends and at an intermediate portion upon a plurality ofpillowblock: 4. A storage tank 5 constituting a source of preserving-fluid is mounted'with its longitudinal axis disposed parallel to the axis of the treating .cylinder and supported, on the latter by suitable connecting brackets 6 in vertical alignment therewith. A weighing tank 7 is supported by a plurality of hanger straps 8 to a weighing beam 9 which is supported by straps 10 secured on lugs 11 ofthe treating tank 1. the longitudinal axis of the weighing tank being also parallel to that of the treating cylinder, and the treating cylinder, storage tank and weighing tank being disposed with their axes in a common vertical plane as illustrated in Fig. 2. The weighing beam 9 of the weighing tank 7 is connected to a lever 12-by links 13 and the lever is connected at its other end by a link 14 to a weighing scale 15. The lever 12 is suspended by a hook 16 from a supporting beam 17.

The rear head 3 of the treating cylinder is provided with a port20 which is formed integrally therewith having an extended portlon 21 that is connected to the rear head of the preserving fluid storage cylinder. 5

{through a'valve 22. The storage cylinder 5 andtreating cylinder 1 are further connected by'pipe line 23 which also communicates with the weighingtankl' through the pipe connection 24 A plurality of pipe lines 25, 26 and 27 are connected respectively to the, ends of the pipe 24 connecting the treating cylinder 1 and the weighing tank 7 and the treating cylinder 1 and the storage tank 5.

In the operation of this apparatus the wood to be treated is charged into the treating cylinder through the front end of the cylinder with the head 2 removed therefrom, the latter is then secureds in place. The. treating cylinder 1 is then filled completely withthe preserving fluid from the storag tank 5 through the ort 20 and the weig ing tank 7 is then lled with the required amount of preserving fluid from the storage tank 5 through pipe connections 27 and or elsewhere. The preserving fluid is then weighed 'by the scale 15 and'the preserving fluidv is subsequently forced under pressure into the treating cylinder 1 from scale tank 7 until the wood to be treated has been sulficiently impregnated with the preserving fluid after which the preserving fluid not absorbed by the treated wood is returned to the storage tank 5. The capacity of the storage tank 5 is so arranged that when fulluthe overflow will run by gravity into the scale tank 7 and since in the process the storage tank 5 starts at full, the difference between the first reading on the scale beam and the final reading show the net amount of preserving fluid that was absorbed by the treated wood.

The treating cylinder may bccharge d by a fluid from the storage tank 5 to which it is returned by air pressure through one of the pipe lines 25 and 26. After the wood is treated the excess preservative not fully absorbed may be Wlthdrawn by suction which is applied from a suitable exhaust apparatus through one of the pipes25 or 26. All of the fluid not absorbed by the Wood treated is weighed in the tank 7 after it has .been withdrawn from the treating cylinder and the difference between the amount of fluid supplied to the treating cylinder and that weighed after the treatment of the wood,will indicate the amount absorbed by the treated body.

The arrangement of the treating cylinder, storage tank and weighing tank in the manner herein illustrated provides a compact apparatus which takes up a minimum amount of space and permits the flow of the preservative by gravity from the storage tank through the treating cylinder and into the weighing tank or from the-former to .the latter direct. The arrangement of supporting the storage tank on top of the treating cylinder and suspendin the weighing tank therefrom eliminates the necessity of supporting the several tanks and cylinders individually on suitable bases or supports and allows a rugged construction of the connecting elements as exemplified bythe integrally formed port in the rear head 3 of the treatingkcylinder communicating with the storage tan Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein set forth it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for preserving wood, the

combination with a treating cylinder, of a storage tank for the preservative, and a weighing tank, said cylinder and tanks being in superposed relation and said weighing tank being suspended from said treating cylinder.

2. In apparatus for preserving wood, the combination with a treating cylinder, of a storage tank for the preservative, and a weighing tank, saidstorage tank being disposed vertically of and supported on said treating cylinder and said weighing tank being suspended from said cylinder.

3. In apparatus for preserving wood, the combination with a treating cylinder, of a storage tank for the preservative, and a weighing tank, said cylinder having a port formed integrally with the rear head thereof communicating means for connecting said port and the said storage tank and connecting means for establishingcommunication between the said cylinder and said weighing tank. i

4, In apparatus for preservin wood, the combination with a treating cy inder, of a storage tank for the preservative, and a weighing tank, the latter being suspended from the cylinder, said cylinder having a storage tank for the preservative, and a weighing tank', said cylinder and tanks being in superimposed relation and connected at one end to provide gravity flow of the preservative from the storage tank to the treating cylinder and from the latter to the weighing tank.

In testimony whereof, I sign my. name.

GRANT B. SHTPLEY.

age tank to flow into the treating cylinder 

